War Trophy
by booknerd95
Summary: After the end of Laufey's rebellion, the Asgardians return home in triumph. They arrive with the best of Jotunheim, including the youngest prince Loki to be given as a slave to Prince Thor. Loki's been told stories of what to expect, but he isn't prepared for when he meets Thor face to face.


**Okay, so I obviously don't own any of the characters or even the plot line for that matter. No, this fabulous plot line goes to Padaloki, who is a fantastic writer and captures me with every story published. This story is Loki's POV from Spoils of War. I loved the story (plus I'm a sucker for Loki angst, can't get enough of it). So yeah, that's all I got right now. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.**

**(Published with author's permission)**

* * *

The rebellion had ended. The outcome hadn't been good for the Jotuns. The Aesir had demolished their army, leaving Jotunheim in even greater disrepair than before. Everything of value had been taken and loaded into wooden carts, men and women and children had been taken as prisoner, and now the golden army demanded that one of the sons of Laufey be given up as hostage to ensure the Jotuns future cooperation and submission.

There were seven sons of Laufey. The eldest was Helblindi, the one who would inherit the throne. There was no way Laufey would ever allow his oldest son to be taken by the Aesir. No, he'd already made his decision the moment the commanding Aesir soldier had told him to give up one of his sons. He chose Loki.

"It has to be you," Laufey said when he returned. "I would rather lose you than any of the others."

And it was true. Loki was the runt of the royal family. He was the youngest and the smallest, a far cry from what a true Jotun should be. His presence wouldn't be missed.

The exchange had been so quick that it made Loki's head spin. He hadn't been allowed to take anything or say any goodbyes to his brothers. He was delivered right into the hands of the golden army and taken away in chains as if he were nothing more than a common criminal.

The Asgardians led him to their camp for the night. They would clear out in the morning and continue their journey to Asgard. That night they celebrated their victory with a small feast. Loki was the center of attention. He was the prize, the trophy to be stared at and humiliated. Many of the warriors in the camp had lost friends and family because of his father's rebellion. There was no doubt in his mind that they wanted a little retribution while they could take it.

He was forced to stand while the warriors ate and drank. They hurled insults at him, laughed when they talked about his future, held morsels of food and drink before him, tempting to take a bite if only he did something for them. He didn't want to know how far the Asgardians would go. He'd rather not find out. He kept his mouth shut and eyes trained on the ground. It was going to be a long night.

Once the men grew tired of him, he was tossed onto the ground where the other Jotun prisoners were held. None of them moved to help him. In fact, they avoided him. Loki was a special prisoner. He was a trophy in the eyes of the Aesir. Getting close to him meant more attention from their captors. None of the others Jotuns wanted that. Loki was left alone.

He didn't sleep that night. His body was too tense. It didn't help that his overactive mind kept conjuring different scenarios of what was to come. Him lying naked on a bed while being used by an Aesir brute, helpless against it all.

He curled up where he lay on the ground.

* * *

The next day when the sun began to fall, Loki found himself in Asgard. It was a long walk to the golden halls of the palace. It was made even longer when Loki had to walk passed the other Asgardians that had come to see what the conquering golden army had brought home from the latest conquest. He was aware of the mocking, the insults, the laughs, and a few hurled rocks, but he was too busy focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. He focused on the sounds of the chains around his ankles and wrists, trying to go so deep inside his mind that he wouldn't even realize where he was.

It didn't last long.

The time came when he was to be presented to King Odin Allfather. The guards around him forced him through the doorway with a spear tip nudged in his back. It startled him for a moment, not having expected it. He walked forward, trying to keep his back straight and shoulders back but finding it hard to remain in such a position for long when all he wanted to do was curl up and become invisible.

He was marched to the foot of the throne and forced to his knees by two strong grips on his shoulders. He didn't dare look up at the king before him. He couldn't bring himself to.

"Let it be known," Odin said in a voice that could be heard throughout the room, "that Laufey is defeated!"

The room erupted into cheers. It was loud. He could feel the vibrations through the floor. He clenched his hands into fists, willing himself to retreat far back into his mind to escape the utter humiliation he was being forced into.

Loki was aware that the king was stepping closer to him. "Loki Laufeyson," he said. Loki glanced upwards at the one-eyed king. "You are now a slave of Asgard, just as your people are subject to our realm. You will bear the form of the Aesir." The king placed a hand on Loki's forehead. He felt the magic sweep into him, causing him to squirm where he knelt. His brothers had told him about this, how a Jotun being transformed into an Aesir was a painful process. It wasn't painful, not in the slightest. But it was uncomfortable. It felt like something was crawling over him, stretching over him with something cold and unusual. His skin lost the usual blue hue and raised lines, taking on the pale and unmarked skin that was common in this realm.

"And you will serve Asgard for the remainder of your days," Odin continued. "I now give you into the possession of my son Thor, that you may serve him with your body and mind." Loki cringed. "You will remain his slave as a reminder to your people that they cannot defy Asgard."

With all that said, the guards picked Loki up off the floor and led him out of the hall without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

The first thing the guards did was take his clothes when they reached Prince Thor's chambers. They tore through it with a knife, leaving his now pale skin bare for their scrutiny. His hands flew to cover himself, and the guards laughed. They made crude comments about asking the Prince Thor if they could have a turn with the Jotun runt. They left, leaving Loki to take a seat at the edge of the large bed with his legs drawn up to this chest surrounded by his arms, blood rushing in his ears.

He shivered as he stared at the door, waiting for his new master to saunter in. He didn't move, not even when his muscles began to cramp in the position he was sitting. He rubbed his arms to warm himself. The chains rattled, reminding him of his current predicament. He felt sick.

It was hours later that Thor finally entered the room. Loki held his breath and watched the prince strip himself of his armour, leaving him in a thin undershirt and trousers. This was the closest Loki had been to Prince Thor so far. He was built like a warrior. He was tall—not as tall as his brothers, but still standing a foot higher than Loki himself. There was no way Loki would be able to defend himself long against the golden prince. He would be at the mercy of his master's whims from now on.

After reviving the fire, Thor turned his gaze upon Loki. His chains were rattling. He couldn't stop shaking.

"I apologize," Thor said, approaching the bed. "I did not see you." He sat down on the bed. Loki curled up as tightly as he could.

This was it. This was the moment he had been dreading since he'd left Jotunheim. Thor was going to stake his claim on Loki, fully marking him as his slave.

"Let me take these off you." The tone Thor was using was soft and gentle. What was he playing at, speaking so kindly to Loki? What did he want? What did he expect? It confused Loki to no end especially when Thor took out a key and unlocked the metal cuffs surrounding his ankles. He bit his lip when Thor reached up to take one of his hands to unlock the cuff around his wrist. He did the same with his other wrist then took his hands and began to softly massage them, warming the blood and making it less of a shock when it rushed back into his fingers after being suppressed for so long. "Is that better?"

Loki nodded, still trying to figure out why Thor was being so nice to him. Why hadn't he already bedded him? He supposed that by removing the shackles it would make him easier to handle in the bed. But then Thor did something else. He rose and walked towards a set of drawers and took out a long nightshirt. It was held out towards him, but Loki didn't take it. He looked up at Thor, trying to read his expression and figure out what all this meant. Why was this Aesir being so nice to him? Why didn't he just ravish him already?

"Put it on," he said. "You must be cold."

Loki snatched the nightshirt without another moment's hesitation. If Thor wasn't going to claim him yet, he might as well take the cover that was being offered. He pulled it on over his head, letting the soft silk fall to his knees. His heart wasn't beating as rapid anymore. At least he had some covering protecting him from his master.

Thor moved towards the fire and kneeled down by them. Loki remained seated on the bed, keeping his arms wrapped around his torso. The prince seemed to notice his hunched form and shaking arms. "Do you want to come sit by the fire? It is quite warm."

Despite the constant warnings in his head, Loki moved from the bed to the fireplace. He crouched down by the fireplace—as far from Thor as he could be, yet still in reach of the flickering flames. He extended his arms, palms facing the flames. He closed his eyes, forgetting his current situation and relishing the warmth that rolled over him in waves. He felt the tension in his shoulders melt away and the knots in his stomach uncoil. This was the best he'd felt in days.

"Are you warm enough?"

Loki flinched. He was brought back to the present, forgetting the warmth of the flames. He opened his eyes and glanced over at him. "Y-yes," he said and shivered.

"Come here." It wasn't a command, it was an offer. Thor opened his arms as an invitation. "I promise," he said, "I will not hurt you."

Loki went still. He was trying to determine if what the prince had said was a lie or not. But he couldn't think straight. As tired and cold as he was, Loki couldn't refuse the invitation. He crawled—albeit slowly—over to Thor, pressing into the thunder god's side. An arm was wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close. Thor's hand rubbed his back in soothing circles, travelling up to stroke his hair in the tenderest manner possible. It was so surprising that a man of Thor's size could even be possible of acts such as this. Loki began to doubt that Thor was even possible of committing such acts that he'd constantly imagined. He trembled and pressed further into Thor, seeking out comfort rather than warmth.

"Loki?" Thor asked as he carded his fingers through his hair. "Are you all right?"

He closed his eyes, turning his face into Thor's broad chest. He didn't want to be seen as weak before the Aesir. He'd been ridiculed and terrorized enough. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves but ended up in poorly suppressed shudders.

"You may cry if you want to," Thor said. "You are safe here." And the floodgate opened. Loki cried into Thor's shirt, wetting the fabric with tears. All the while, the prince rubbed his back, saying soft and reassuring things. "It's all right, Loki. I will not hurt you. You are safe."

The thunder god kept true to his promise. Not once did he hurt Loki or laugh at him for his pathetic display and weakness. He simply sat there with an arm holding him close and a hand gently running through his hair or rubbing the tense muscles in his back. Just as the warmth of the fire had made him forget all that had happened to him, so did Thor's tender caresses and soft words.

Thor was nothing like the other Aesir Loki had met. He was kind, tender, and, above all, truthful. He had yet to doubt Thor's words, and the more time they spent together, the less likely Loki thought Thor was going to go back on his words.

The sobs died down even though the tears still fell. Loki felt a little more relaxed, a little more comfortable around Thor. He lay in the strong arms of the thunder god as he stirred the fire with an iron poker. He realized how tired he was. He wanted nothing more than to curl up before the fire and sleep for days on end. And yet he couldn't. There was a question lingering in the forefront of his mind.

"W-why are you d-doing this?" he asked, voice shaking. "I thought you were g-going to . . . My father s-said—"

Thor cut him off quietly, not in the harsh tone he was expecting. "I know what you thought. And I promise that you need not fear that from me. I will not take from you want you do not willingly give."

He closed his eyes. His father had not spared him the details of what was going to be expected of him in Asgard. How he would be reduced to nothing more than a bed slave to the Aesir, helpless to defend himself against the Asgardians might.

"Then w-what are you going to do w-with me?" he asked quietly. If he wasn't going to be used for his originally intended purpose, than what good was he? He was still a slave. Perhaps they would use him for menial chores such as cleaning and carrying things around.

"Feed you," the prince answered with a smile. "I am sure you are hungry. Then you will sleep."

Loki frowned. That wasn't what he'd been expecting to hear. Not at all. "So you are not . . . You are n-not going to . . ."

"No," Thor insisted. "Your body will remain your own."

Still confused, Loki continued to speak on the matter. "But the king s-said I am your slave."

"I know, and I am sorry. You are far too young to endure all this. But I promise you, I will treat you as the prince you are. You have done nothing to deserve slavery."

But didn't he? His father was Laufey, king of Jotunheim, the reason why he was in this situation in the first place. Why wouldn't Thor want to punish him for that fact alone?

Loki managed to look Thor in the eyes. "Laufey says that the Aseir always bed their captives."

A dark look passed over Thor's face. It seemed to be disgust. "There are some that do."

So Thor didn't approve of it, the manner by which some captives were used. That gave him some relief.

"Thor," he said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"Yes?"

"Do you hate me?"

Thor looked surprised at the questions. "No, Loki, of course not. Why would I?"

_Why wouldn't you? _

"The Aesir hate the Jotuns," he said. "Many of your soldiers died when my father rebelled."

"None of which was your fault," he insisted. Gentle, calloused fingers pressed on Loki's lower jaw to turn his face towards Thor's. "You need fear no retribution from me. Do you understand?" He nodded. "See? Everything is not so bad as it seems. Asgard will feel like home before you know it."

Perhaps Thor had said it for both their benefits. But Loki knew better. Not all the Aesir were like Thor. There would still be many out there that were hounding for his blood. Perhaps in this room he was safe, but beyond those doors it was hostile environment. Asgard would never be his home.

"Will I ever see Jotunheim again?" he asked.

"If Father permits it, then I will take you."

"Does King Odin hate me?"

"I. . . I do not know, Loki. I do not think so. I know he spoke harshly to you today, but that is because he was expected to. My father is a kind man, though he may not always seem so."

He shifted a little, fingers reaching out to toy with the hem of his shirt "Will he be angry if you do not—do not bed me?"

"I do not think so," Thor said.

"What about the other Asgardians?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do they want to kill me?" he asked.

"Some do, undoubtedly." Just as he suspected. "But there is more compassion among my people than you might think. You may not have been able to see it, but many in the hall today pitied you."

"I don't want pity," he said. "I want—" What didn't he want? He wanted his brothers, his books, his belongings. He wanted everything to go back to normal. "I want to go home."

"I know." The hand returned to his hair, stroking softly. "I know. I am sorry. I wish none of this had happened, but such wishes are futile. We must take what we are given."

"I miss my room and my books and . . . I don't like Asgard." He felt like he was going to cry again.

"Well, Asgarid is not so bad," Thor said, trying to lighten the mood. "Tomorrow I will show you the palace and the gardens and the training fields, and perhaps we can ride through the city. Would you like to see the Bifrost?"

Loki sniffled and looked up at Thor. "The Bifrost?" he asked.

"It is only a short distance from the palace. I will take you there tomorrow. There is a long bridge of swirling colors over the sea that connects it to the city. You can see all of Yggdrasil when you stand upon it."

"All of Yggdrasil," he repeated in a whisper. He looked up at Thor expectantly. "We will go there? Tomorrow?"

"If you want to."

Loki couldn't believe it. "Yes!" he cried.

The thunder god smiled at his excitement. "I will show you our library, too. The kings of Asgard have amassed a collection of hundreds of thousands books and scrolls in the palace archives. I think you will find much that interests you."

"You have a library?"

"It is the greatest in the Nine Realms," Thor said with a hint of pride.

"And . . . they will let me read the books?" He had to ask it. He had to be sure that Thor wasn't just telling him this just to make Asgard sound more like a future home and not allow Loki to go into it.

"Of course." Loki sighed. "The library is open to all who seek knowledge."

"I thought—I thought slaves would not be allowed—"

"Loki," Thor said, seriousness returning to his tone once more. "I am not going to treat you as a slave, and I will ensure that no one else does either. You have a keen mind, and I would not see it dulled with disuse."

"I . . ." Loki was momentarily speechless. He didn't know what to say other than, "Thank you." He was about to ask if he would be able to read and study from all the books the library had to offer—especially the ones on magic use—when a large growl from his stomach broke the silence. He felt the blood rise to his face, and Thor laughed. A nice sound that was deep and not menacing in the slightest, not like the other Aesir who'd laughed at his expense.

"Forgive me," the prince said. "You must be famished, and I have given you nothing." He disentangled himself from Loki's form and rose from the floor, crossing the room to the door.

In that time, the heat left Loki shivering with chattering teeth. He crept closer to the fireplace, hugging his knees to keep anymore heat from escaping his body. He hated this Aesir form he had to wear. It felt uncomfortable, like something had been stretched over his body and fused to his skin. He found himself to be overly sensitive to the slightest temperature changes.

Thor returned with a blanket, which was draped over his shoulders. Loki pulled the blanket around his body firmly. "Why are you so cold?" Thor asked.

"This Aesir form is . . . different," he said. "It doesn't keep me warm like my real body does."

"Does it feel strange? Being in the form of an Asgardian?"

"Not as strange as I thought it would." He ran his fingers across his cheek. He missed the feeling of the raised lines he was born with, the lines that marked him as royalty. Now that had been stripped of him as well. "Just thinner," he replied.

"Well, I suppose that is not so bad." The thunder god seated himself down beside him. "Have you ever seen another Jotun transformed into an Aesir?"

He shook his head. "My brothers told me it would be very painful." His brothers always had fun with his naivety and innocence. They'd always told him stories that weren't true, see how much he believed until he figured out they were all just lies.

"How many brothers do you have?" Thor asked next.

"Six," he answered. Six strong brothers that were the pride and joy of Laufey. And then there had been Loki, small, weak, and disappointing Loki.

"Do they look like you? In your Jotun form?"

"I suppose. They're all bigger than I am. I'm the youngest, and Father always says I'm the runt. He says my mother was ashamed of me and that's why she died after I was born."

Thor frowned. "That is . . . harsh," he admitted.

Loki shrugged. It didn't matter to him. He never knew his mother. It didn't matter to him all that much.

"My oldest brother is Helblindi," he said, feeling excited that someone was taking interest in his life before Asgard. "He's the ones who will be king after Father. Then there are five more, and then me."

"Were you happy in Jotunheim?"

"Yes," he said right away, but then he gave it more thought. Had he truly been happy in Jotunheim with his father's neglect and his rowdy brothers? "I mean . . . I think so. I don't know. I never really thought about living anywhere else, until . . ." He swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"Until your father sent you here," Thor supplied.

Loki's vision went blurry with fresh tears. He dabbed at his eyes with the sleeve of the nightshirt. "He said it had to be me. Father said he would—he would rather lose me than any of the others."

"I am sorry." He sounded genuine, caring.

Loki sniffled, taking in a deep but shuddering breath. "I suppose he's right. I'm not big or strong like my brothers. I can only fight with knives and magic, and he says those are women's weapons." Laufey had discouraged his practice with magic many times, trying to make his runt of a son into the warrior he'd always desired. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"You can work magic?" Thor sounded interested.

And for a fleeting moment, Loki felt the corners of his lips tug up in a small smile. "I can."

"Can I see?"

He nodded. He closed his eyes and focused on the magic inside of him, drawing it out of its dormant state. He raised a hand into the air and used his magic to create a small horse made out of a cloud of silver mist. With a slight flick of his fingers, the horse galloped around the room before vanishing from sight.

He opened his eyes to find Thor smiling, looking amazed. "That is very impressive." Loki felt his cheeks heat up and a warm feeling spread through his core. Pride. "There are few mages in Asgard who could create such illusions at your age."

"I'm not that young," he said, but still appreciated Thor's comment nonetheless.

There was a knock at the door that disturbed the easygoing atmosphere in the room. Thor rose to answer it while Loki huddled beneath his blanket, fearful of who might stand beyond the chamber doors.

Thor returning to his spot, setting a tray filled with delicious smelling food. The scent alone made his mouth water and stomach churn in delight. There was a large chunk of roasted meat, taking up most of the plate. Vegetables and steaming potatoes filled the rest of the space. In its own bowl was some of the dessert, looking sweet and creamy. The food reminded him of how hungry he was. He hadn't received food this good in days, not since he'd left Jotunheim.

"I'll wager you can't eat all of that," Thor said with a smile on his face.

Loki looked up. "This is all . . . for me?" He wasn't expecting that. He was expecting that Thor would share with him, divide up the food so that they both could eat.

"Of course. I have already eaten."

He turned his attention back to the tray. Reaching forward, he picked up the meat and tore a piece off with his teeth. The meat had been cooked just right. It was so tender and juicy and gone all too quickly. He licked his fingers and started on the vegetables and potatoes. He stopped himself from scarfing down the food like a savage. He wanted to appear the least bit civil even though he was starving. The pudding was next. It was just as creamy and sweet as he'd thought it'd be. And just like the rest of the food gone too quickly, but leaving him fully satisfied. He shoved the tray away with a sigh of content.

Thor laughed and said, "I cannot imagine where you put all of that."

There was tugging at his lips again. This time it was greater, leaving a full smile upon Loki's face. It was the first time he'd felt like smiling since hearing of his father's decision. "It was very good." He licked his fingers once more, savouring the sweet and salty tastes that still remained. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Stomach full and mind at ease, Loki yawned. His body craved rest. And now that its greatest demands had been met, it desired sleep. He rubbed his eyes, eyelids becoming too heavy to keep up anymore. With the blanket firmly wrapped around his body, he situated himself by the fire and prepared to curl up and sleep for many hours. Thor stopped him from doing so.

"You are not sleeping on the floor," he insisted.

"Then where?" he asked, having not noticed any other sleeping space other than the large bed that occupied the room.

"In the bed, of course."

There was a small voice in Loki's head that said, _I told you! You can never trust an Aesir, no matter what they say. He was going to do this all along. Fool! _"In your bed? But—slaves do not sleep in their masters' beds, unless . . ."

"You are not my slave, Loki, no matter what Father may say," Thor said in the kind and gentle manner he'd spoken in all night. "If you really wish to remain on the floor, then I suppose it is your choice. But I think you will find the bed much more comfortable. And I have already promised that I will not touch you."

Loki looked at the large bed. It looked so soft and warm with the thick covers. He would very much like to sleep in it, even if that meant sleeping beside Thor. "If you don't mind, then . . ." he said.

"Of course I do not mind." The thunder god offered a hand, which Loki took and was pulled up from the floor. "Which side would you prefer?"

The question struck him hard. It wasn't the fact that Thor cared about which side of the bed he liked to choose. It was the fact that Loki's opinion mattered because no matter what anyone else said, Loki was still a person with his own opinions on different subjects, no matter how trivial they were.

"I don't know . . ." he admitted. His head was still swimming with all that had happened today.

"This one, then." Thor pulled back the covers on one side of the bed, allowing Loki to slip under the thick quilts and lie upon the soft silk sheets. He couldn't stop his hands from running over the smooth surface.

"Even Helblindi's bed wasn't this soft," he said. And indeed there weren't. Even though the eldest prince of Jotunheim had many soft furs for his bed, they couldn't compare to the silk sheets of Asgard.

Thor settled onto the other side after putting out the torches, giving Loki as much space as he needed to feel comfortable.

"Thor?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For . . . for everything."

"You are welcome, Loki."

Loki closed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, what with his full belly and surrounded by warmth. And for the first time, in a long time, Loki felt truly happy.


End file.
